As many as 15,000 people lined up outside of Macy's in Herald Square, according to the Associated Press, where customers walked shoulder-to-shoulder through the aisles, sifting through racks of clothes for the perfect gift.

Semus Herron, 50, proudly walked out with a Calvin Klein overcoat for $100 — originally $350 — after just 15 minutes of searching.

But the crowds were a shock, Herron said.

"So many people in one store," Herron said. "I've never seen it before."

Shoppers lined up outside the Times Square Toys 'R' Us on Thanksgiving afternoon waiting for the store's doors to open to get their hands on some of the season's hottest toys, like Big Hugs Elmo and Cra-Z-Loom, workers said.

Lisa Chapman, who was shopping for her 5-year-old twins, was shopping with a friend, and said she liked to shop on Black Friday rather than online because of the tangibility.

“We like to see the stuff, hold it in our hands," Chapman said. "We are old school.”

Chapman's friend, Tanya Jackman, 33, had a different take on the day. Jackman, who bought an Angry Birds game for her two godchildren aged 9 and 5, said she was dissappointed by the lack of deals.

“I think the closer you get to Christmas the better the deals," Jackman said. "My Wii is the same price [as it would be online], so why am I here?”

Even tourists were in on the action. One Oxford, Penn., family came into the city early Thursday to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, then waited until Friday morning to do some shopping.

“We tried to come last night, but the line wrapped completely around the building,” said mother Amy, 39, who was at the store with her two children and husband and declined to give her last name.

When asked what her five-year-old son, Camden, wanted he just pointed at a “Ben 10” action figure.

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